7 Adjectives to Accurately Describe Black Women Other Than ‘Strong’ and ‘Independent’

For years one of my favorite lazy-Saturday rituals was to go to my local thrift store and shop. On one particular Saturday I went to the store in the afternoon, and the radio was playing.

“Fellas, call in and tell me two things you love about Black women after the commercial break,” the DJ said.

When I heard that question, my stomach immediately tightened. Even though I hadn’t yet heard any of the listeners’ perceptions of Black women, I already knew in my gut what they were going to say.

“We’re back,” said the DJ. “Caller, you on the line? What do you love about Black women? What two qualities do you love about Black women?”

“I love me a strong, independent Black woman,” the first Black male responder said.

By the time the third Black responder uttered that same term, “strong Black woman,” I was in the coat section and in a bad mood.

“Why are those the only damn words that come to mind when describing Black women?” I asked myself.

Intellectually I knew the answer: The intersection of race, class, and gender for Black women in this country has meant having to reconcile a legacy of slavery and the creation of dehumanizing tropes and stereotypes like the “strong Black woman,” created by the white patriarchal engine to systemically control our reproduction, destroy our families, and distort to ourselves and our men. And the truth is that…

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